1911 fans: Definitions for common model names.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Model 1911's seem to have a variety of names to describe them.

IIRC: Officer, Commander, Micro, probably more. Tactical? Service? Or are the last 2 just XD non-1911's?

What I'm looking for is what 1911 descriptive model names go with which
size 1911's. Do these names hold true across different brands?

Do 3", 4", 5" models all have their own descriptive model names?

Does the length of the grip and/or ammo capacity play into this?

Thanks in advance.

SIA

[srothstein]

There is no standard for model names per se. As a general rule, I use service model or government model to describe the full size, 5" barrel weapon. Commander is the slightly smaller 4" barrel, and officer's is the smaller yet 3/3.5 inch version. these are based on the original Colt model names, and most 1911 fans know what I mean. Every other manufacturer picks their own names though and there is no real standardization. The confusing weapons are the hybrids, such as a full length barrel on a commander frame (slightly shorter grip, capacity down by one round) and the opposite 4 inch barrel on the full length frame.

[RiverRat]

Ok, I'll try. I only have Colts and Springfields.....Kimber guys chime in....There are some experts on here.

5" = full size 1911, tactical ...... longer mag, full size 1911 mag = 7 rounds or 8 rounds depending...

4.25" = Commander (Colt) .....full size mag
4" = Champion (SA) .......full size mag

3.5" Colt Officer........shorter mag, 6 rounds or 7 rounds
3.5" SA Ultra Compact.........shorter mag, Colt Officer length, 6 rounds or 7 rounds

3" Colt Defender, Night Defender, New Agent......shorter mag, Colt Officer length, 6 rounds or 7 rounds,
3" SA Micro.........shorter mag, Colt Officer length, 6 rounds or 7 rounds

Hope this helps.

[surprise_i'm_armed]

Thank you gentlemen.

When I hit the lottery I'm going to get a 1911 for main carry
and a Springer SC9 as my BUG!

SIA

[dadoo]

<SNIP> When I hit the lottery...
SIA

You don't have to wait to get a quality 1911 pistol. Look for a Rock Island Armory (RIA) at a local gun show or shop near near you. If your local dealer doesn't carry them, then the shows are the way to go. Accurate, reliable, and affordable.
this is my compact (Officer size) 3.5" barrel .45ACP:


It was under 400.00 a couple of years ago, a bit more now. My regular carry gun with probably 1000 rounds through it with zero failures.

Here is a full sized model, also .45, in brushed nickel and dark matte finish:


Bought in April '09 for 470.00. only about 300 rounds but still no issues.

Lifetime warranty, best customer service people in the industry. Check them out.

[PappaGun]

Lifetime warranty, best customer service people in the industry. Check them out.

What customer service experiences have you had?

Sounds like a commercial.

[TLE2]

Kimber's easy: they have more names than that guy Carter has pills.

http://www.kimberamerica.com/pistols/

[bkj]

‘Government ‘ 5.00” barrel
‘Commander’ 4.25" barrel
‘Officer’ 3.50” barrel Short frame

http://www.m1911.org/full_history.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[surprise_i'm_armed]

dadoo:
Thank you for improving my awareness of the Rock Island Armory flavor
of 1911. Not having checked out a lot of 1911 prices, I was under the impression
that the Taurus 1911 was the "value" gun. But those RIA prices seem very reasonable.
Good to hear that yours is reliable and a good shooter.

TLE2
After following the link to Kimber, I have to agree: they have a ton of names for theirs.

bkj:
Sir, the link you provided above was fascinating. It had a great tutorial and pix about the
1911's development, and I read all the stories about both heros and villains who lived and died
by their 1911's. I noticed that in 2 years of forum membership that you have only posted 53
times. Thank you for responding to this thread with a great informative link to a bunch of 1911 lore.
Don't be a stranger!

All:
I have had the general idea for a while that my "moveup" gun would be a Springfield Armory XD,
but I really believe that there's a 1911 in my future, of some brand. No one seems to love their
gun more than a 1911 owner.

SIA

[mgood]

‘Government ‘ 5.00” barrel
‘Commander’ 4.25" barrel
‘Officer’ 3.50” barrel Short frame

I'm no Colt expert, but that's my understanding as well.

Kimbers have their own sizes and naming system.
Custom: 5.00" barrel, full-size frame (Standard "Government" size 1911)
Pro: 4.00" barrel, full-size frame
Compact (only seen in a couple of models): 4.00" barrel, compact frame
Ultra: 3.00" barrel, compact frame
Full-size frames come with 8-round magazines and compact frames come with 7-round mags.
Kimber has lots of models, most of which are available as Custom, Pro, and Ultra. One or two are available as Compact. But those are the sizes in Kimber lingo.
Custom CDP II
Pro CDP II
Compact CDP II
Ultra CDP II

[mgood]

You don't have to wait to get a quality 1911 pistol. Look for a Rock Island Armory (RIA) at a local gun show or shop near near you.

True. Rock Island makes a very solid, no-frills 1911 at a bargain price (compared to most other 1911s). The people I know who've bought them have been very pleased.

[DONT TREAD ON ME]

I bought a Springfield XD and absolutely love it. GREAT GUN!!!

However, for father's day this year I got a Springfield 1911 and I love it.

We didnt have a lot of money to spend on it so I got the Mil-Spec SS version. $650ish. Great price for a Springfield. I got to shooting it and there were some things I did not like about it (hammer, beavertail & mainspring housing). So, I changed that all out. Did not cost a lot at all. Here in the next couple months I will be putting a extended trigger on her along with and extended thumb safety. Then she will be complete.

This is what I would suggest to you. With the little upgrades I did to my gun it handles and shoots GREAT! You get a great gun and you get to customize it to you. All for a very affordable price!

[dadoo]

Lifetime warranty, best customer service people in the industry. Check them out.

What customer service experiences have you had?

Sounds like a commercial.

I have not had a single issue with either of my Rocks, but I read other forums (yes, I know, there ARE no other forums ). On the m1911.org site there is a forum specifically for Rocks and the folks there have great things to say about the customer service at RIA whether it's a needed repair (Lifetime Warranty) or a complete makeover and new finish, those guys are great.

[9mmfish]

[/quote]You don't have to wait to get a quality 1911 pistol. Look for a Rock Island Armory (RIA) at a local gun show or shop near near you. If your local dealer doesn't carry them, then the shows are the way to go. Accurate, reliable, and affordable.
this is my compact (Officer size) 3.5" barrel .45ACP:[/quote]

I've been considering this gun for a .45 but recent reading says that production has been stopped so the mfg can concentrate on their AR-15 line.

Can anyone confirm? If it is true what's the next choice in line? My next choice would be a M&P .45 but it's not a 1911.

[LostInAustin]

...but I really believe that there's a 1911 in my future, of some brand. No one seems to love their gun more than a 1911 owner.